Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms and Diagnosis
What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
MS attacks may develop over days or weeks and may leave the patient incapacitated. This first episode is followed by other attacks in a period of unpredictable weather, which can be short or prolonged period of time. The symptoms vary with each patient, considering all that can attack the nervous system.
A common symptom of the onset of disease is the inflammation of the optic nerve causes a decrease in vision accompanied by pain behind the eye. In general, after several weeks the vision will be partially or completely. The alteration occurs mainly in central vision.
Other common symptoms are:
- Loss of strength (you can get to the paralysis), and generalized fatigue
- Changes in sensitivity
- Urinary problems (impaired function of the urinary sphincter, which causes urinary incontinence).
How does the doctor diagnose?
During the interview the patient may report several episodes with different symptoms, which have partially or totally improved. The clinical course is characterized by acute episodes, followed by relapses. Abnormalities on physical examination allows the doctor to suspect multiple sclerosis, several tests still needed to confirm the diagnosis:
- MRI scan findings and the location characteristic of the disease seen in MRI of the brain and spinal cord.
- Neurophysiological tests, neuropsychological tests show a decrease in nerve conduction.
- Study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): the presence of antibodies detected in the study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- Study of the electrical events: Evoked potentials studying electrical events in the central nervous system (CNS) generated by peripheral sensory stimulation, they detect an alteration of CNS function not detected clinically.
The medical history and test results allow the physician to diagnose multiple sclerosis.
credit to: Dr. Jimmy Alfonso Schiemann Delgado, Dr. Per Rochat, Dr. Claus Madsen, Dr. Dan Rutherford